Political Rewind: Protests surrounding 'Cop City' turn violent; 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Caption

A burned police car sits on the street following a violent protest, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Atlanta, in the wake of the death of an environmental activist killed after authorities said the 26-year-old shot a state trooper.

Credit: AP Photo/Alex Slitz

The panel: 

Michael Thurmond, CEO of DeKalb County

Patricia Murphy, political reporter and columnist, @MurphyAJC, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  

Sam Olens, former Georgia Attorney General

The breakdown:

1.  Protests escalate to violence over the planned Atlanta Police and Fire Training Center. 

• Activists came out to demonstrate all weekend after the shooting and killing of a 26-year-old protestor.
  • A state trooper was also shot and injured last week.
• At least six people were arrested Sunday and charged with domestic terrorism and other felony counts.
• Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Sens. Warnock and Ossoff, and Gov. Brian Kemp condemned the weekend violence. 

2. This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. 

• Fifty years ago Sunday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the constitutional right to an abortion with the Roe v. Wade decision.
  • Last year, that decision was overturned. 
• A new NPR/Ipsos poll finds that 3 in 5 Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
• House Speaker Jon Burns says he won't push new abortion restrictions while Georgia's six-week abortion ban is under review. 

3. A look back at astronomical spending during the 2022 cycle. 

• $650 million for the governor and U.S. Senate races alone.
• In 2021, a Georgia law passed by the GOP-led General Assembly and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp allowed unlimited donations for certain campaigns at the state level, too.

Tuesday on Political Rewind: Emory's Fred Smith and the AJC's Tamar Hallerman join the panel.